Seattle, Washington – The University of Washington (UW) continues its longstanding relationship with AstroTurf®, installing a high-tech Diamond Series field at Husky Stadium. The field is ready to go after a successful installation by Coast To Coast Turf, giving the Huskies plenty of time to train on the new playing surface and get used to the improvements in safety, durability, and playability before the 2023 season begins.
This will be an exciting year for UW Baseball. The Huskies will play on a state-of-the-art home field: the turf comes with AstroTurf’s high-performance Diamond Series RBI System and a massive 100’ by 70’ logo at centerfield. There’s also a new Head Coach at the helm – this will be Jason Kelly’s first year leading the Huskies.
“Thank you to the great people at AstroTurf,” said Kelly. “By far the best product on the market. Our new AstroTurf looks great and plays great. Go Dawgs!”
Coach Kelly is returning to Seattle after serving as the pitching coach for LSU and Arizona State. Before that, he made a huge impact on the UW baseball program during his seven years as the Husky pitching coach from 2013 to 2019. In 2014, UW baseball achieved its highest national ranking in team history, and in 2016, Kelly developed and mentored Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year and first-team All-American Troy Rallings.
“We’re absolutely thrilled to be back at Husky Ballpark,” said Gregg Swenson, AstroTurf Regional Sales Manager for the Northwest Region. “The Huskies have a great program, and we can’t wait to see how well they play this year with Coach Kelly. He’s a phenomenal pitching coach and a fantastic leader, and we know the team is going to excel under his watch on our new Diamond Series field.”
The University of Washington went with the Diamond Series RBI System which includes RootZone Diamond Blend RBI and RootZone Diamond-I RBI with Trionic fibers. It’s a premium synthetic turf baseball field with a texturized fiber system that reduces infill migration. With minimal infill splash and two-inch high legend-shaped polyethylene monofilament fibers, athletes can count on more realistic ball hops and a surface that looks and feels like real grass.
The i-Fiber system features Diamond-shaped monofilament PE fibers designed to lay over, thereby replicating clay. Nylon also improves resistance to wear in these high traffic areas and provides more natural sliding distance.
The AstroTurf® installation at Husky Ballpark comes with several important upgrades to the facility, including new turf mounds on the field and bullpens, infield tic marks for infielder positioning, and new turf at the mini field used for bunting practice.
“Converting over the University of Washington to the AstroTurf Diamond Series family is a big deal,” said Aaron Klotz, AstroTurf’s National Manager of Baseball Sales. “We look forward to watching them this spring on their quest to reach Omaha, all while doing it on our turf.”
The Husky Ballpark upgrade continues a positive partnership with the University of Washington, AstroTurf and Coast to Coast Turf. The installation at the baseball stadium marks the fourth AstroTurf® project at UW since 2019. Washington also chose AstroTurf® for Husky Stadium, the East Field, and the Softball Indoor Facility. All four projects were completed by Coast to Coast Turf.
The Huskies will make their home debut on the new field from March 3rd through the 5th when they host Northern Colorado for a four-game weekend series. Before that, UW Baseball will be on the road, playing eight road games in California, with a season starter in Santa Clara on February 17th.
About AstroTurf®
For athletes and sports enthusiasts, AstroTurf® has redefined the way the game is played. The brand offers advanced, multi-sport, and specialized synthetic turf systems with proprietary engineered technologies. A growing number of high schools, colleges, professional sports teams, and municipalities continue to select AstroTurf-branded products for their premium quality, technical superiority, and safety. To learn more, visit AstroTurf’s website at www.astroturf.com.